The Mother And Her Child Part 34

Never allow anyone to manipulate or "break down" a swollen breast in a girl or boy baby during the first week or two. This swelling occurs often and should not be interfered with. A hot compress of boracic acid solution may be applied, after which a piece of sterile gauze should be placed over the swollen part and held on by a muslin bandage. Secure medical attention if the swelling does not go down in a day or two.

VISITING

Unless absolutely necessary, babies should not be taken on trains and street cars; nor should they take long journeys into the country to attend "reunions." Infections accompany crowds, and baby is far better off at home, in the quiet of his natural surroundings, than he is in the dust, closeness, and bustle of illy ventilated cars, streets, shops, movies, or even at church. Many an infant has been sacrificed by a train journey to "show him off" to the fond grandparents; scores of babies acquire whooping cough at the movies; and many a baby has nearly lost his life by catching measles, scarlet fever, or diphtheria at church; while the only thing accomplished by the church experiment was the spoiling of the entire service by its fretful, tired cry--the infant's only means of protest.

THE RUNABOUT BABY

"Runabouts" are the little folks between the age of one and three years, and they require good care, good feeding, and warm and comfortable dressing.

In general, they need the same fresh air, daily outings, and daily naps of the younger child. Their hands need was.h.i.+ng oftener, and their clothing, which is usually a play romper, should be either of white or fast colors that it may be most thoroughly boiled, thus getting a good disinfection. Their eyes, nose, and ears, as well as the genital organs, all require the most rigid daily cleanliness.

The "bugbear" second summer need not be feared by the mother who takes particular care to see that:

1. The drinking water is boiled or distilled.

2. The orange is not overripe.

3. The banana is not underripe or overripe and is not eaten in chunks.

4. The milk is fresh and pasteurized.

5. The baby does not eat candy, ice cream, or other forbidden foods.

6. The baby's bowels move daily.

7. He does not remain dirty.

8. He naps daily.

9. He is protected from dust, flies, flees, and mosquitoes.

10. He does not go visiting, to church, shops, or "movies."

The second summer is no harder than the first, as good clean water, easily digested foods, and good general hygiene are all a baby needs at this time. A large army of little folks grow up in spite of the little care they get and the place in which they live. Did they not possess good vital resistance, sound nerves, and good digestion, the children of the "slums" and of the "ghetto" would quickly succ.u.mb to their unhygienic surroundings.

TOYS

In selecting toys for the infant, it must be borne in mind that they will be put to the mouth, and hence they should not be:

1. Toys with sharp points.

2. Small enough to swallow, or to push into the nose.

3. Covered with hair or wool.

4. Gla.s.s that is easily broken.

5 Painted toys.

6. Toys that may be taken apart and the small parts swallowed.

7. Paper books that may be chewed or torn.

Bear in mind that babies are easily amused with such simple toys as:

1. A half-dozen clothes pins.

2. An aluminum pan and a spoon.

3. Rubber toys (easily washed).

4. Celluloid dolls, ducks, and other floating toys.

5. Blocks.

6. A large rubber ball.

The older children have wonderfully good times out of doors with a spade, a cart, and the sandpile. Boys most thoroughly enjoy a track with its engine and cars, switches, etc. They build sham fortifications, truly works of art, with their blocks, while the girls are happiest with dolls and household sets. However, occasionally we meet a mother who has a girl who is really a boy in her tastes for toys, and so we say to that mother: give the little girl the desire of her heart; if it's a train instead of a doll, or a toy gun instead of a doll's trunk, well and good, let her have them. What we want are free and easy, natural, children. They are much more likely to have good nerves, clean thoughts, sound digestion, and equalized circulation.

CHAPTER XXIV

GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT

The newborn baby comes into the world in an absolutely helpless condition and completely unconscious of his surroundings. He unconsciously performs certain acts, such as opening his eyes, crying, urination, movement of the bowels, and even nursing of the breast; but there is probably no distinct voluntary action connected with any of these acts. All of his senses at birth are practically dormant, but as the days and weeks go by, they begin to awaken.

SPECIAL SENSES

The baby cries, but the tears do not actually flow over the lids until he is three or four months old, and while the baby may fix his eyes upon objects and distinguish light from darkness, he will not wink nor blink when the finger is brought close to the eye. Vision is probably not complete until the beginning of the third month.

Infants are said to be deaf for the first twenty-four to forty-eight hours after birth, and some authorities hold that they are deaf for several days.

Taste is early developed, as a newborn baby will often repeatedly show a desire to taste sweet things, while if sour or bitter things are put to the tongue, it shows its displeasure.

HAIR AND SCALP

The newborn baby usually comes into the world with a good head of hair, but the end of the first or second week witnesses the falling out of much of this hair, and falling may continue for even another week or two. The hair is often worn off on the back of the head because of constant friction upon the pillow.

Children differ greatly in the growth of hair. Some of them come into the world with heavy hair, and others lose it quickly and remain nearly bald-headed until after the first year.

As the second hair grows in, it is usually lighter than it was at birth and lighter than it will be later in life, as the hair has a tendency to grow darker as the years go by.

The scalp should receive the care already mentioned. As the hair comes in it should be shampooed once in two weeks and brushed often, making it healthy and vigorous.

MISSHAPEN HEADS

It is wise to turn the baby first on one side and then on the other and not allow him to sleep night after night on one side of his head.

The newborn head may be misshapen by laying the child constantly on one side, and the ear may be misshapen if it is allowed to curl under or become pressed forward. Markedly protruding ears may be partially corrected by having the child wear a well-ventilated cap made for the purpose.

THE SALIVA

Many mothers think that the presence of drooling or the excessive flow of saliva is a.s.sociated with teeth cutting. While it may be a.s.sociated with the teeth, this is not usually the case; it is more probably due to the beginning of a new function of secretion. The newborn baby has only enough saliva to furnish moisture for the mouth, and not until the age of four or five months does saliva really flow, and since the teeth appear a bit later we often confuse the inst.i.tution of a new secretion with the oncoming teeth.

SENSATIONS AND RECOGNITION

The young baby manifests a number of sensations early in its career.

Hunger and satisfaction as well as comfort and discomfort seem to be recognized by the little fellow. He early learns that the approach of someone when he cries usually means that he is to be taken up, and he usually ceases crying as soon as he is taken up. He early manifests a sense of comfort when he is cuddled; there also is early present a manifestation of the desire to sleep, and the satisfying pleasure of a drink of water.